08-17-2010, 05:02 PM
We are told that Iphicrates created a new troop type by altering the panoply of his day. One feature of this was to lengthen the sword:
This is often taken to mean that he created particularly long swords- beyond the norm for what hoplites had used throughout history. I've been playing around with wooden models of various historical swords and created a model of a standard Machaira of the 5th c, a Xiphos modelled after a late 4thc example and a putative Laconian short sword from a sculpted image. In the creation of these swords, I did not work off measurements, but scaled images to a grip length of about 3.5" to use as patterns. Thus, the swords are in proper scale with eachother if we assume that grip length must have been relatively constant and governed by the hand of a wielder.
As you can see, if the Laconian short sword a) existed, and b) was the most common type in use by hoplites in the early 4th c, then Iphicrates need not have created extra-long swords, but simply returned to the traditional lengths seen before the spread of the Laconian.
Quote:Diodoros 15.44:
As regards spear (doratos) and sword (xiphous), he made changes in the contrary direction: namely, he increased the length of the spears by half, and made the swords almost twice as long.
This is often taken to mean that he created particularly long swords- beyond the norm for what hoplites had used throughout history. I've been playing around with wooden models of various historical swords and created a model of a standard Machaira of the 5th c, a Xiphos modelled after a late 4thc example and a putative Laconian short sword from a sculpted image. In the creation of these swords, I did not work off measurements, but scaled images to a grip length of about 3.5" to use as patterns. Thus, the swords are in proper scale with eachother if we assume that grip length must have been relatively constant and governed by the hand of a wielder.
As you can see, if the Laconian short sword a) existed, and b) was the most common type in use by hoplites in the early 4th c, then Iphicrates need not have created extra-long swords, but simply returned to the traditional lengths seen before the spread of the Laconian.
Paul M. Bardunias
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A Spartan, being asked a question, answered "No." And when the questioner said, "You lie," the Spartan said, "You see, then, that it is stupid of you to ask questions to which you already know the answer!"
MODERATOR: [url:2dqwu8yc]http://www.romanarmytalk.com/rat/viewtopic.php?t=4100[/url]
A Spartan, being asked a question, answered "No." And when the questioner said, "You lie," the Spartan said, "You see, then, that it is stupid of you to ask questions to which you already know the answer!"
